Chapter 681 : Sword of Vengeance, Demon's Bane

In that very instant, an unparalleled sword radiance within Eldrin Chen's sleeve trembled, releasing a thread of pure, penetrating killing intent.

This startled Eldrin Chen, and he couldn't help but ask, "Senior?"

"Garuda!"

The Sword Intent [the conceptual will and power imbued within a sword] of the Azure Abyss Sword instantly retracted, uttering only those two words.

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, his gaze shifting to the Garuda the Heavenly Demon [a powerful, bird-like demonic entity] manifestation hovering in the void above.

He understood the reason for the Azure Abyss Sword's killing intent. In the battle of old, the Azure Abyss Path Lord had fallen by the hand of Garuda the Heavenly Demon, and the Azure Abyss Sword itself had been shattered in that very demon's grasp.

Who could have imagined that after several thousand years, this Garuda the Heavenly Demon had cultivated to the Primordial Spirit Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Primordial Spirit realm, where one's spiritual core is immensely powerful], and even a single manifested Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true self of a high-level cultivator] projection it left behind now possessed combat power rivaling a true Primordial Spirit cultivator.

With this realization, Eldrin Chen transmitted a message to the Azure Abyss Sword: "Senior, be at ease. That this Garuda Demon Monarch [a demon ruler of the Garuda lineage] has a Garuda manifestation protecting him suggests a deep connection to Garuda the Heavenly Demon. Today, we shall take him as interest on an old debt."

"Agreed."

The Azure Abyss Sword replied with cool detachment, a thread of killing intent within it growing ever more resolute. Original publication: audio . novel . com - The source of this chapter.

Simultaneously, the battle atop the Heavenly Vault had reached its zenith.

The Garuda Demon Monarch, wielding the Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword and manifesting his Heavenly Demon Dharma Form [a colossal, spectral projection embodying the power of a Heavenly Demon], was single-handedly holding off the combined assault of three supreme treasures: the Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl, the Vast Righteousness Heaven Sword, and the Five Directions Treasure Flags.

Especially that Heavenly Demon Dharma Form, which was almost like a living Primordial Spirit Realm Heavenly Demon, actually suppressed the allied cultivators with its overwhelming might, leaving them gasping for breath.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Mysterious Void Path Master's pupils contracted sharply. He decisively produced a violet-gold spiritual talisman and hurled it towards the Heavenly Demon Dharma Form.

This talisman, named the Purple-Gold Divine Thunder Talisman, was a Sixth Rank treasure talisman forged by the Grand Elder of the Eastern Barrens Holy Land's Lin Clan, Violet Firmament Path Lord. It could unleash the Violet Heaven Divine Thunder to strike powerful foes and possessed immense restraining power against Demonic Cultivator.

The talisman transformed into a bolt of Violet Heaven Divine Thunder that crashed down amidst flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, striking the Heavenly Demon Dharma Form. The impact visibly dimmed the form's radiant aura by nearly a third.

"An excellent treasure, Brother Mystery Void!"

Seeing this, Sea-Calmer Path Master immediately intensified his assault with the Sea-Calmer Divine Pearl and exclaimed with fervent hope, "This Heavenly Demon Dharma Form cannot be sustained for long! Attack now with all your might!"

Hearing his words, everyone pressed their attacks. The Heavenly Demon Dharma Form was merely a one-time avatar; its greatest weakness was its limited reservoir of spiritual power, making it fundamentally incapable of maintaining Primordial Spirit-level combat prowess for an extended period.

Now that the form's unstoppable offensive had been checked, the Garuda Demon Monarch found himself momentarily unable to break through the encirclement, plunging him into a desperate and arduous struggle.

The great battle raged for a full day and night. Seeing that he had exhausted every trick and still could not break the encirclement, the Garuda Demon Monarch could not help but reveal a trace of anxious desperation.

Realizing the dire situation, the Garuda Demon Monarch glanced at his Heavenly Demon Dharma Form [a colossal, avatar-like manifestation of a demonic cultivator's power]. He understood that to escape with his life, he would have to pay an immense, nearly exhaustive price.

With this thought, he gritted his teeth and poured his energy into the Heavenly Demon Dharma Form, driving it to ignore all incoming attacks in a desperate bid to force its way through the blockade.

The Heavenly Demon Dharma Form took a direct blow from the Vast Righteousness Heaven Sword, suffering grievous wounds, yet it charged onward through the void shrouded by the Five Directions Treasure Flags.

"We cannot let him escape!"

The expressions of the several great powers present shifted dramatically. If the Heavenly Demon Dharma Form attacked with its full might, it would undoubtedly tear through the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy used for defense, attack, or other purposes].

Although the Five Directions Treasure Flags possessed seventy to eighty percent of a Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure's power, they were still insufficient to withstand such an all-or-nothing assault.

In that fleeting, lightning-fast moment, Mysterious Void Path Master also acted, disregarding the toll on his treasure for a second time as he unleashed the Violet Heaven Divine Thunder [a devastating bolt of violet-colored heavenly lightning].

This Violet Heaven Divine Thunder talisman could be activated three times. To obtain it, Mysterious Void Path Master had not only paid a steep price but also incurred a monumental debt of favor to Violet Firmament Path Lord.

Now, to slay this Demonic Path [the cultivation methods and philosophy aligned with demonic forces] Primordial Spirit Seed [a cultivator who has reached the Primordial Spirit stage], he could no longer afford to be sparing with his treasures. Without hesitation, he unleashed the Violet Heaven Divine Thunder once more.

Then, the Violet Heaven Divine Thunder [a supreme divine thunder technique] descended with a deafening roar, its unstoppable might crashing down upon the Heavenly Demon Dharma Form [a colossal, spectral manifestation of a demon's power].

Though formidable, the Heavenly Demon Dharma Form was, after all, merely a conjured apparition. Already pushed to its limit by the earlier strike from the Vast Righteousness Heaven Sword [a divine sword embodying vast and righteous power], it could not withstand the bombardment of the Violet Heaven Divine Thunder. In an instant, it erupted into a cataclysmic explosion of unimaginable violence.

A shockwave of unparalleled force tore through the void, its impact causing the Five Directions Treasure Flags [a set of five enchanted banners used to control space] to dim and flicker, the very fabric of the sealed space trembling violently.

"Cleave!"

Seizing that precise moment, the Garuda Demon Monarch [a powerful demon lord of the Garuda race] widened his eyes. The Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword [a demonic blade forged for slaying immortals] in his hand erupted with a peerless sword radiance, its contemptuous power ripping through the Five Directions Treasure Flag Formation [a spatial confinement formation created by the Five Directions Treasure Flags].

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Seeing the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for defense, attack, or confinement] torn asunder, the Garuda Demon Monarch let out a triumphant, arrogant laugh. Once free from the confines of the Five Directions Treasure Flags grand formation, the sky would be his to soar and the seas his to roam. With no Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator whose Primordial Spirit is half-formed, a stage between Nascent Soul and full Primordial Spirit] expert to block his path, who could possibly stop him?

Yet, at that very instant, Eldrin Chen, who had been waiting in readiness all along, snapped his eyes open. A gaze of absolute, annihilating intent locked onto the Garuda Demon Monarch.

"*Screech—!*"

A peerless azure sword-light, amplified by the Heavenly Flame Magical Power [a divine ability that channels celestial flames], surged forth with an overbearing, world-defying power, aimed directly at the Garuda Demon Monarch.

In that instant, the heavens and earth fell silent, and all color drained from the world.

That single flash of sword light became the only hue of eternity.

The full-force strike of the Azure Abyss Sword, empowered by the Heavenly Flame Arcane Power [a profound power of celestial fire] that only a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a master who has cultivated their spirit to its primordial origin] could unleash, was a blow that shook the heavens and made ghosts weep from the very moment Eldrin Chen executed it.

The Garuda Demon Monarch [a powerful bird-like demon ruler], having just shattered the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for defense or attack], had no time to catch its breath before a sword radiance pierced before its eyes, annihilating its physical form into fragments on the spot.

Even its Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] was incinerated by the boundless Heavenly Flame [a celestial fire of immense purity and power]. Only a wisp of remnant soul clung to the Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword, carrying its once-overbearing ferocity as it fled deep into the Boundless Void.

"Dead?"

It took several long moments for the onlookers to process what had happened.

The Sea-Calmer Path Master cast a deep, lingering glance at the Azure Abyss Sword in Eldrin Chen's hand before finally cupping his hands in salute. "We owe you our thanks, Fellow Daoist, for seizing that crucial moment. Had you not, it truly might have escaped."

"Indeed, indeed."

Relief and astonishment washed over the group. The Master of Featherflight Pavilion spoke with newfound respect, "To think you possessed such fortune, Fellow Daoist. It truly stirs envy within us all."

Vast Righteousness True Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who embodies immense virtue and righteousness] also nodded towards Eldrin Chen and said, "It is a pity we did not manage to seize the Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword [a demonic sword forged to slay immortals]. Otherwise, this battle would have been a complete and utter victory."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a pang of regret. That Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword was a genuine Pure Lunar Demonic Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact forged with pure lunar demonic energy].

The crafting method for such a Demonic Treasure [an enchanted artifact forged with demonic energy] is not as inherently vile as ordinary demonic treasures. It is forged by refining a Sixth Rank [a high-grade material classification] Precious Metal [a rare and spiritually conductive metal] and sealing within it the soul of a Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity from the higher realms].

If we could have captured it, perhaps the Path Lord [a title for a master of a specific cultivation path] of the Central Ancestral Domain [the central and most ancient region of the human cultivation world] might have been able to purify and convert it into a righteous magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators].

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen also sighed, "That fiend still has a wisp of remnant soul. If it has cultivated a reincarnation Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural technique], it might still have a sliver of a chance to reincarnate in the future."

"Do not dwell on it. Being able to slay this demon is already our greatest victory."

Mysterious Void Path Master [a title for a master of the Path of Mystery and Void] spoke, then glanced at the battlefield beneath their feet. "This is not the time for lengthy discussion. Let us first rout the Fiend Race Army [the military forces of the demonic fiend race] completely." The story continues at site: audio-novel.com.